Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the automated Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process and why is it an important part of an individual's departure from the Department?

The automated Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process is a series of integrated forms and guided checklists designed to support the temporary or permanent departure of all individuals from the Department. This standardized process allows the individual to initiate electronically his or her own departure process once a change in their employment status has been determined.

The automated Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process is an important part of an individual's departure because it:

  1. improves the time and accuracy of financial administration and an individual's final pay issuance;
  2. improves safeguarding of departmental assets and information;
  3. reduces the risk of security breaches to the Department's networks, systems and facilities;
  4. improves knowledge and responsibility of information management requirements;
  5. reduces potential for post-employment conflict-of-interest scenarios by ensuring managers have access to current procedures and information.
  • Who does the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process apply to, and when is it used?

    The Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process applies to any individual who is leaving the Department on a temporary or permanent basis and should be initiated once a change in employment status has been determined or there is a break in service due to the end of a contract.

    The automated Separation Clearance Process applies to:

    • indeterminate employees
    • term employees
    • casual employees
    • students
    • contractors/consultants

    The Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process must be completed for permanent departures from the Department such as:

    • retirements
    • resignations
    • end of employment (such as the end of a term)
    • end of a contract
    • transfers to another Department
    • termination (Abandonment of Position, Discharge for misconduct, Early end of contract, End of contract, Rejection on probation, Release for incapacity, Unsatisfactory performance),
    • Death in Service

    The Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process must also be completed for some temporary departures from the Department such as:

    • secondment out
    • interchange out
    • any type of leave without pay, including parental and maternity leave

    In the case of Leave without Pay, the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process should be adhered to when the leave period exceeds twenty consecutive working days.

    The Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process is not required for internal administrative processes such as assignments, deployments and promotions/demotions. However, due diligence must be taken to ensure that all physical, electronic and financial assets are reviewed and updated accordingly.

    Where do I go to find out more about the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process, including such things as whom it applies to and when to use it?

    For further information on branch specific and/or business related general enquiries, please contact the applicable Enabling Services Branch as follows:

  • Where can I access the automated Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process?

    The Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process can be accessed by navigating directly to the Offboarding Employee – Departure Roadmap.

  • Who completes the initial Notification of Separation?

    The initial Notification of Separation form must be filled out by the individual leaving the department. If an individual leaving the Department is unable to complete the form, (i.e. unable to access the departmental intranet) the individual's manager, alternate contact or an administrative assistant can complete the form on behalf of that person. Casual employees, students, and contractors/consultants must also complete the form when leaving their position (including at the end of a specified term). Although contractors/consultants are not government employees, steps in the separation process related, for example, to network access, building access, email accounts, IT and information assets, are still required to be addressed when these individuals discontinue working under contract for the Department.

  • When should an individual submit his or her initial Notification of Separation?

    It is advisable that an individual leaving the department submit their initial Notification of Separation as soon as possible. This will ensure that all required steps are completed prior to his/her departure and will avoid unnecessary delays with issuance of final pay, and to ensure any changes to access or other assets (such as taxi chits, IT tools and documents) are addressed as required. The required/preferred notification period differs based on the type of separation.

  • What happens after an individual submits their initial Notification of Separation?

    Upon submission, the manager, alternate contact and administrative assistant identified on the request receives an email informing them of the submission of the initial Notification of Separation.

  • What is different now with the automation of the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process?

    In addition to gaining efficiencies by streamlining the process in which individuals leaving the department, submit their Notification of Separation.  The automated process serves to notify management and the Enabling Services Branches of the upcoming departure to allow for proper planning and tracking, and for the facilitation of due diligence in the areas of Information Management, and the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Policy.

  • What documentation should I attach to the initial Notification of Separation Form?

    All supporting documents relevant to the selected type of separation must be scanned and/or uploaded into the system upon submission of the initial Notification of Separation. For example: a resignation letter; a letter of offer from another department or agency; an agreement (interchange or secondment); leave without pay requests, and related agreements (parental and educational). The submission of the initial Notification of Separation can be deemed as official notification as long as all applicable steps (departing individual's submission, manager acceptance and inclusion of required documents) are followed.

  • Are there changes to how an individual submits his or her resignation?

    In the event that an individual chooses to terminate employment voluntarily, he or she must provide their manager with written notice of the resignation, as well as the reason for resignation (Example: outside employment, personal reasons or returning to school).

    Resignation can be submitted via the Separation Clearance Process. However, in order for the termination of employment to be legal, the resignation must be acknowledged and accepted by the manager.

  • What steps occurs after the initial Notification of Separation was submitted and reviewed by a Manager or the Alternate Contact?

    The manager or alternate contact identified on the request must review the submission as quickly as possible to ensure that all required information and documentation are submitted. He or she will also complete and submit the final Notification of Separation on the official date of departure. This final submission includes a thorough review of physical/network access and all assets assigned to the individual leaving the department, and will confirm that all components of the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process are adhered to. Upon submission of the final Notification of Separation, the applicable Enabling Services Branches will review and action the request as necessary, based on the type of separation.

  • When do I submit the final Notification of Separation?

    The submission of the final Notification of Separation is required on the official date of departure.

    The Separation Clearance Form is generated when the final Notification of Separation is submitted. The Separation Clearance Form must be signed by the individual leaving the department and the manager or alternate contact on the date identified as the official date of departure.

    The submission of the final Notification of Separation will trigger a sequence of actions and processes within the system for the applicable Enabling Services Branches, and will serve to produce the Separation Clearance Form, which is required by Internal Integrity and Security (Integrity Services Branch) for the individual's security file.

    The manager must send a hard copy of the Separation Clearance Form, signed by both the individual leaving the Department, and manager or alternate contact, to the applicable regional office of Internal Integrity and Security (Integrity Services Branch). A signed hard copy of the Security Screening and Briefing Form (TBS33047) must be sent.

  • Who can access the submitted Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process information and documentation?

    Only those persons assigned to the request (individual leaving the Department, manager, and alternate contact, administrative assistant and specific Enabling Services Branches employees) can view the request and any uploaded documentation.

  • What is the role of the individual identified as the Alternate Contact?

    The alternate contact identified on the request is an individual that can act on behalf of the manager to assist with the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process. This role allows for process efficiency by enabling the completion of the required physical steps in the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) Process if the individual leaving the Department is in a different physical location than their manager.

  • What happens when changes occurs or when additional documents are added to the submitted Notification of Separation?

    All identified contacts, along with the applicable Enabling Services Branches, are notified when there is a change made or additional documentation added to a request.

  • What happens if an individual's situation changes prior to the identified Official Date of Departure?

    An individual leaving the department, manager, alternate contact or administrative assistant can cancel a submitted request, if there are changes in regards to an employment situation prior to the identified official date of departure. The reason for cancellation must be identified and any applicable supporting documentation should be uploaded into the system when the request is cancelled. The request must be cancelled and resubmitted with the correct information when the type of separation selected is incorrect or changed.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers - Specifically for Managers

  • What are my responsibilities once I receive a submitted initial Notification of Separation?

    Once received, the initial Notification of Separation must be reviewed as soon as possible to ensure the submitted information is complete and all applicable documentation is received based on the selected type of separation. This review is critical to ensure that management, as well as the applicable Enabling Services Branches have accurate and sufficient information to prepare for the individual's upcoming departure or movement.

  • What steps take place after I review an initial Notification of Separation?

    You or an alternate contact identified on the request must take the proper steps to ensure that all components of the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) process are adhered to upon acceptance of the Notification of Separation. A thorough review of physical/network access and all assets assigned to the individual leaving the department must be completed. In parallel, the applicable Enabling Services Branches will review and action the request as necessary, based on the type of separation.

  • Who can complete, approve, and/or submit the Cost Centre Checklist and the final Notification of Separation?

    The Cost Centre Checklist, which is an itemized list of steps required to complete the Offboarding (Separation Clearance) process, can be completed in stages or all at once by the manager, alternate contact, and/or administrative assistant identified on the request. The manager with FAA section 34 delegation is the only one that has the authority to approve and submit the final Notification of Separation for further processing by the Enabling Services Branches.

  • What is required after submitting the final Notification of Separation?

    The manager must send a hard copy of the Separation Clearance Form, signed by both the individual, and manager or alternate contact, to the applicable regional office of Internal Integrity and Security (Integrity Services Branch). A signed hard copy of the Security Screening and Briefing Form (TBS33047) (PDF, 43 KB opens new window) must also be sent.

    It is recommended that the above-mentioned forms be scanned and uploaded to the specific request within the web-application to serve as a repository and back-up to the hard-copy originals sent to Internal Integrity and Security (Integrity Services Branch).

    For further information on branch specific and/or business related general enquiries, please contact the applicable Enabling Services Branch as follows:

  • How do I know if the separation clearance was submitted to the Enabling Services Branches for processing?

    The request status will appear as “Auto-Transferred” or “Processing”. Once the Enabling Services Branches have processed the request, the status will change to “Resolved”.